Improvement in combined corsets and bustles



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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEO LAYINIA R. FOY, OF wORoEsTER, MAssAcHUsETTs,

IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINED CORSETS AND BUSITLES. I

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 54,323, dated May 1, 1866-.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, LAVINIA H. FOY, of the city and county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corsets and Bustles, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a corset and bustle with my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 represents a section of the corset. Fig. 3 represents a top or plan view of the bustle B detached, and Figs. 4 and 5 represent top or plan views of the bustle B in vVarious stages of construction.

In `the drawings, A represents the body of a corset, which may be made in the ordinary mannerthat is, with eyelets a, for lacing in the back, and with clasps or hooks b, to fasten the article in front. Near the bottom of the corset, upon the back and sides, are inserted eyelets c. One row will answer 5' but for con- Y venience of adjusting the bustle B up or down two or more rows may be used. The bustleB is made by first cutting a piece of cloth bias, and in the shape shown in Fig. 5. rEhe edge B Bl is then folded over and stitched so as to form a case, E, for the rattan D.

The edge C C is hemmed and provided with eyelets d, or their equivalents, while an elastic, U, is inserted in the center, as fully shown in the drawings, to make the bustle adjustable.

The rim or bustle B is self-adjusting, and is brought into the form shown in Fig. 3 by stretching the outer edge, B. rIhe bustle B is secured to the corset by lacin'gs inserted in one row of the eyelets c of the corset and eyelets d of the bustle, as fully indicated in Fig. 1. As the rim or bustle B may not at all times extend the dress to suit the taste orfancy of different persons, a spiral Wire spring, e, is attached to the top of the bustle Or rim B. Spring e is made tapering at each end, as clearly shown iu Fig. l, and may be cased or. covered by a piece of cloth if preferred. The bustle B can be readily detached and applied again, so that the corset A can be worn with or without the bustle. Instead of the elastic G the angular edges f f of the bustle B may be provided with eyelets to receive a lacing,

when the bustle can be adjusted by simply tightening or loosening the lacing.

Having described my improved corset and Ybustle, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with acorset, of a series of eyelet-holes, c, or their equivalent, and a detachable bustle, B, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, with the back and sides of a corset, of one or more rows of eyelet-holes, c, transversely to the line of junction of the corset in the rear, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, with the rim or bustle B, of the coiled springe, substantially as set forth.

4.. Making the rim or bustle- B from a biascut piece of cloth, in combination with insertlin g an elastic, G, or its equivalent, for the purposes stated.

... LAVINIA HQ FOY.v

Witnesses:

Trios. H. DODGE, H. L. FULLER. 

